


Confined in the Mountain Halls

by drelfina



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Danzou POV, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Gangbang, I feel like I'm writing Lolita except ninja, Implied Child Abuse, Implied Child Grooming, Implied Oral Sex, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Minor OOC, Other, Root Trash Party, Shisui never gets out sorry, alternate endings, chapter 1 is complete as is, chapter 2 is good ending, chapter 3 is worse ending, creepy obsession and projection, gangrape, i'm so sorry shisui, implied child sexual abuse, mentioned Root Members
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-03-20 08:02:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18988585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drelfina/pseuds/drelfina
Summary: Danzou had always thought that Uchiha Kagami was perfect in all ways but one: he put his Clan above the Village.Luckily, this is not the case for his grandson Shisui.UPDATED: Chapter 2 The Good Ending.Chapter 3 with the Worse Ending has been updated! Tags has been edited to reflect Chapter 3, specificallyslight OOC, Kakashi/Shisui, implied Kakashi/Itachi, and Root Trash Party, gangrape, gangbang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So uh, warning going in: there is some pretty obvious though not explicit grooming going on here. I definitely feel it's written in the style of _Lolita_ , where the POV character is the giant creeper asshole, so... read it with caution.

Uchiha Kagami had always been the best of them. 

Even Tobirama-sensei had said as much. Kagami had saved them time and time again, saving his teammates and always having a smile for his sensei and team - 

The fact that he'd gotten _married_ , to someone his _Clan_ had chosen for him, not one of their team, not _them_ was what galled the most. 

"I don't understand," Kagami had said, frowning, looking at him - because they were of a height, Kagami had been perfect in _all things_. 

Except this. 

"Of course I would get married. Don't look at me like that." 

Kagami said, "We have to grow up sometime, there's a war on." 

Kagami said, "Family's important." 

Kagami said, "It's my _duty_." 

Kagami said, "Don't touch me - i said _no._ Leave me alone - I have to go." 

He'd gone on that mission and hadn't come back. Hiruzen had been the one to destroy Kagami's eyes when Kagami had fallen to save him, and that had been the most galling of all. 

*** 

Kagami had left a child behind, a girl who looked more like his _wife_ than Kagami, and Danzou hadn't cared to notice the girl-child more than he should have. 

It wasn't like the Uchiha were much better - for all that Kagami was the best of them all, even with Madara flouncing off in madness and megalomania, they still focused on those who were more like Madara than Kagami, and it was two decades before Danzou saw that girl again and remembered her father. 

In the markets as he'd walked by and saw - the girl-child - no, a woman now - holding the hand of a child and when the child turned to point at candy at his mother, it was like seeing Kagami smile again. 

*** 

Getting to talk to the child had been easy; Hiruzen had been pleased enough to let Danzou have his own sub-division of ANBU - because who better to watch themselves than their own, right? - and happier still that he would take it upon himself to get to know the Uchiha better. 

The woman was inconsequential. The rest of the Uchiha were unchanged. 

But the child Shisui? 

He talked like Kagami had, once, a long time ago. 

*** 

He looked so like Kagami, Shisui did, the sweep of his jaw, the rise of his cheekbones, even at his tender age of six. He had Kagami's talent, racing through the Academy the way Kagami would have had if said Academy even existed then, graduating before he was eight and making genin. 

Becoming Shisui's jounin-sensei was easy. 

Shisui was so eager to learn. 

And, as it turned out, so eager to love - the death of his genin teammate awakened his mangekyo sharingan so easily, and he took to learning how to use them in their honour beautifully. 

Shisui took so, so readily to trust. 

Especially whatever his sensei had to say. 

*** 

Of all of his operatives, Shisui was the most precious. 

How could he not be? 

He was a prodigy, the strongest of his generation, exactly like Kagami had been, beautiful and fleet, all long-limbed grace and burning with fire and passion. 

The only problem, ah, was his eyes. 

In all respects, he could have been Kagami reborn, the bright Will of Fire burning in him, his sweet natured obedience. Having had him as a student since he was genin meant Shisui wasn't tied up with his Clan as Kagami had been, and oh, getting him young had been the best for Shisui, hadn't it? 

Where Kagami's eyes had been sweet, soft, slanting just a little down, Shisui's eyes were large and cat-like, feminine sweep of his eyelashes reminding Danzo of Kagami's _wife_ , the only part of her Shisui that he'd inherited via his mother, and Danzou… hated that Hiruzen had destroyed Kagami's eyes. 

But the lovely thing about the Uchiha, even if they had that Curse of hatred, even if they couldn't be trusted, was he could give Shisui new eyes. 

And Shisui, beautifully obedient, was so, so lovely in his submission to what was best for him. 

*** 

Despite the power of Shisui's eyes - the ones he'd inherited from Kagami's wife - Danzou knew he'd go blind from them, eventually. It was better that he had new ones. 

And he submitted to the operation, letting Danzou bind his eyes afterwards in thick white embroidered white-on-white silk and he went to his knees so well. 

Fourteen-years-old, and he was already taller than Kagami had been but. 

On his knees, blindfolded and his face turned to Danzou, trusting, he looked exactly like Kagami reborn. 

And he trusted his sensei - who wouldn't? - and Shisui always, always had learned fast. He didn't need his eyes to lean forward with Danzou's guiding hand, to open his mouth with barely a prompt. 

His new eyes still didn't look quite like Kagami's, but his mouth, soft, red and sweet, was exactly Kagami's. 

*** 

"Please, no, I'll learn how to use them faster, Sensei," Shisui said, balking just that one step towards the surgical bed. 

But he was obedient, and he was submissive, and he knew that Danzou knew best, because it was just the one step, and Danzou hadn't needed to even apply more than a touch to Shisui's lower back before he was going to the surgical table, climbing on and sitting on it. 

"I know you would. But they're not right for you." 

Shisui blinked at him, eyes huge and wet but he'd already learned that unless he was on his knees, begging did no good to change Danzou's will. 

Shisui was a quick learner after all. 

Barely sixteen and already he'd mastered this pair of eyes, even faster than the first transplant, but they weren't right for him. Still not quite Kagami's, it was still that woman's eyes looking out of Kagami's face. 

"Trust me, Shisui." 

Shisui swallowed, and let himself be pushed down onto his back. 

"Yes sensei." 

*** 

It didn't matter that he had Shisui keep his hair long - he had Kagami's hair, the unruly curls like a sea's waves down his back, and it was always a pleasure to undo the braid he let Shisui keep it in, letting the half-tamed curls drop to curl and tickle down Shisu's arms and fingers. 

If Kagami had lived, he probably would have been just as fast as Shisui was now, all brilliant fiery speed, fast enough that he too could have grown his hair long, a taunt to anyone else that he was untouchable, a boast. 

It pleased him to see Shisui with it, fulfilling Kagami's true potential, the way Kagami should have been, one of the highest ranking jounin in Konoha, in Fire Country. Deadly in the battlefield, feared across all the elemental countries - 

And kneeling for him, like this. 

Silk across his eyes, the long trail of the silk half hidden by his loose hair and the ends looped around his wrists. 

There was no need to tie his fingers - Shisui would never even _think_ of channelling chakra where Danzou had not given permission, and his hands were loose, trusting curves, barely hidden by his hair, wrists bound high up his back so he had to arch his neck. 

He'd struggled before, the bend on his neck and back hard for someone who had just started, but now he was breathing easy and shallow, knees beautifully spread and waiting, mouth parted. 

Always waiting, ready. 

Obedient _perfection_. 

*** 

The Uchiha were planning a coup, of course they were. Murmurs of dissatisfaction that Shisui brought back to him, murmuring them quietly as he knelt between Danzou's knees, cheek against Danzou's thigh. 

"I could," Shisui said, when he was done, when he was finished, lips red and wet and voice soft and just a little soft and raw, "I could stop them. Convince them otherwise. Please, sensei." 

Danzou leaned in and tugged the silk down from Shisui's eyes, and the white silk pooled around his throat, stark white against his hair, a silk leash. 

Shisui's eyes were huge, wet, and he was looking up at Danzou, and for a moment, it was almost like looking at Kagami again. 

"Please, sensei, let me save them." 

He didn't flinch when Danzou touched his cheeks, tracing the delicate sweep of his lower eyelids, and Shisui's eyes obediently slipped shut, eyelashes thick dark and wet. 

"Of all the Uchiha," Danzou said, gently, kindly, "You're the only one worth saving, Shisui." 

Shisui inhaled, an audible, visible motion of his chest, hardly gauche enough to sob. 

"Please, Sensei." _They're my Clan. My family_. 

"I know." he pressed his thumbs a little harder, denting and reddening where the silk had bound across his face and cheekbones, and now leave damp smears under his eyes. "I know how family is _important_ to the Uchiha. But which is more important?" 

"The Village, sensei. Always." 

His voice was so soft now, trembling under his fingers and. 

Shisui was so perfect, so beautiful, and unlike Kagami, so perfectly _Loyal_. 

"Then you know that they can't be saved." 

"I understand, sensei." 

*** 

When it was all over, when the dust cleared and the blood settled, Danzou was surprised to find that far from being _far_ away from the Uchiha Compound, Shisui was holding off the other Root operatives from Uchiha Sasuke and Itachi, despite the fact that Uchiha Itachi was holding a sword dripping with blood, and all three of them had shining red sharingan. 

"Shisui," Danzou said, and it was an order and a reprimand all at once, and of course Shisui went to his knees at once, ignoring the way his knees hit blood. 

"Sensei, _please_." 

It should have been all of them. There should have only been one Uchiha left, and Shisui should have been nowhere near this. 

"Not them, Sensei," Shisui said and his face and hair was streaked with blood and ash, which meant he'd _let_ the Uchiha get close enough to almost hurt him and Danzou would forgive Shisui many things, but not that. 

"Please, sensei." 

Danzou walked closer - the root operatives didn't move, and Itachi twitched like a tense taut wire. 

The little Uchiha brat made a tiny noise like a sob, but Danzou only had eyes for _his_ operative. 

"Did anyone else see this?" he asked Kinoue. 

"No, Danzou-sama." 

Shisui had pulled the Uchiha brat to him, hiding his face against his side. 

"Sensei. Please. They're not - they're innocent," he said. 

It might have worked for the brat, but Danzou had seen the sharingan. There was no _hope_ once the sharingan were activated, after all. 

Unlike Shisui, these two had been wholly Uchiha, subject to the Uchiha Curse of Hatred, and there was no _point_. 

"Let go of him, Shisui." 

Shisui was wide-eyed. "No. No, Sensei. They're innocent, they weren't involved with the coup, they would have - they'd have stopped it!" 

Danzou exhaled. Firmed his voice - Shisui kneeling like that was the way that was wholly him - Kagami had never looked so desperate, and if Danzou didn't keep strong in his resolve…

"Who else can take the blame for this?" he said, conversationally. "It would have been easier if you had stayed away, Shisui." 

"You knew, Shisui?" Itachi said, his voice just a little high, unbroken still, just a hint shrill. 

"Please," Shisui said. "I'll take the blame. I'll confess I did it - just - Sasuke's still a _child_." 

"Kinoue." 

Tree-branches reached out and yanked Sasuke away from Shisui, even as the roots snapped up and slammed against the sword that Itachi had been about to turn on Shisui. 

Danzou didn't need to signal for his other operatives to take Itachi down, and hard. The Uchiha Genius, he had heard him crowed about - youngest to make jounin. 

Root knew how much Danzou valued Shisui, and any attempt to hurt him was always punished quickly and swiftly. 

"Traitor!" Itachi cried out, sharp and high despite the pain in his voice and Shisui flinched, the way he'd long since been trained out of, and Danzou reached down and grabbed his braid, twisting, feeling the ash that had smeared his glossy black hair grey.

"Please, Sensei." 

"Aniki!" 

"Run, Sasuke, run -" 

Danzou ignored the scuffling, pained cries, and then the abrupt silence. 

"I've been too soft on you," Danzou said, after a moment, still fisting the long braid, and yanked, twisting and shoving Shisui face down into the sticky,bloodied wood. 

"Please, sensei," Shisui said, begged, hands curling into the wood like that would stop whatever Danzou was going to do. "Please. Please let them go. They didn't - they won't interfere, I'll take the blame for it. THey already hate me -" 

"You've disappointed me," Danzou said, walking past him to eye the restrained Itachi. 

He'd been soft, he realised. He'd been giving Shisui so much leeway, and he hadn't even realised that Shisui had gotten close to these, the heirs of Uchiha, the rotten foundation of Konoha's peace and security. 

He'd forgotten, that as much alike to Kagami as Shisui was, Kagami had his own flaws. 

And above all else, Kagami had treasured Clan over Village. 

Danzou had let his own affection for Shisui cloud his judgement, he realised. If he was a better shinobi of Konoha, he should kill Shisui too, like any of his operatives that failed him. 

(But then Danzou could never let Kagami go, could he? He couldn't let Shisui go either, and because he was human, he was still weak, he would forgive Shisui over and over. Shisui was not just any operative, he would not let have anyone else _have_ him, not the Uchiha, not his precious _Clan_ or the genius prodigy and his brother.)

It would still work, he supposed, looking down at Itachi. 

If the precious Uchiha genius took the blame, that would destroy the standing of the Uchiha. 

His operatives straightened, and yes, they'd silenced Itachi, though there was no way to remove that glare short of ripping out his eyes. 

Those looked like Kagami's eyes. 

Shisui made a small noise, when he realised what Danzou was looking at - 

And then his traitorous student swapped himself with Itachi, pushing against the surprised Root operatives. 

Itachi staggered from the disorientation, getting to his feet - 

"Just _go_!" Shisui yelled at his cousin. "Run!" 

And Danzou slapped him across the face even as Tera and Dajimu leapt to grab at Itachi before he could think of trying to rescue the Uchiha brat - And Itachi had to turn and run. 

You had to give it to these Uchiha bastards - they were _fast_.

And distracting - Itachi's fleeing meant some of the Root members were chasing, and Shisui was moving - as if being hit had meant his disobedience was sanctioned, and he was shunshin-ing towards Kinoue, intent on grabbing Sasuke. 

But Danzou could whip around, and grab Shisui by the braid, haul him back. 

"Slow," he said, feeling sharp disappointment in his chest. Slow and _Sloppy_ \- 

And Shisui twisted a little, pulled a kunai from his own pouch and sheared his hair off. 

Danzou jerked back in surprise as Shisui dashed for Sasuke, readying a katon - and a huge wave of water slammed into Shisui, shoving him off course and sputtering out his katon in the shock, and then roots were snatching Shisui a good five feet back, and slammed up to cage him, tiny tendrils snagging his fingers apart and fixing them to the floor. 

"Good work, Kinoue," Danzou said, still holding onto the Shisui's ash-smeared braid. Feeling anger and thwarted rejection surge. How dare Shisui throw his kindness and care back in his face? How dare he reject everything he'd done for him? 

And yet, he knew he'd forgive him. Danzou would just… 

Make it impossible for him to commit such a crime again.

"Fuu." 

Fuu was already stepping forward to deal with the brat. "Danzou-sama. What do you wish?" 

"Uchiha Itachi was the one who slaughtered the Uchiha Clan," Danzou decided, watching the slow growth of horror in Shisui's eyes. That _woman's_ eyes. 

"No, it wasn't Aniki, it was someone else - it was all of you-!" 

Kinoue didn't even need Danzou's order to silence the brat, gagging him with a root. 

"No, sensei," Shisui said, "Let him think it was me, i did it - I'll take the blame -" 

Danzou looked down at him. "The alternative," he said, low and even, "Is to kill the brat. Out of kindness for you, Shisui, because I _care_ about you, and despite the fact that you should be punished for your mistakes, I still will _fix_ them, I'm keeping the boy alive." 

"But - But he'd never believe it was Itachi," Shisui said, and he was making a sound - hoarse, harsh like he'd swallowed fire. 

"He will," Danzou said. 

*** 

Danzou kept the ash and blood stained braid in a box. It was a reminder that he had to be constantly vigilant. Despite Shisui being the best of the Uchiha, he was still an Uchiha - he still had his weaknesses. 

If he had to train him to guard against it, he would. 

The Village had been shocked that Itachi had gone rogue - none more shocked than his remaining family members; Shisui had only just come back from a mission and had only escaped death by the quick arrival of Danzou's operatives who'd chased off Itachi from the injured Shisui. 

And Shisui was recuperating in his sensei's house while Sasuke was tended in the Village Orphanage, the Uchiha Compound hardly fit for residence for anyone now. 

Better if it would be burned down. 

Missing-nin Uchiha Itachi was formidable indeed, having managed to get in close enough to grab Shunshin no Shisui's hair - even the greatest had their own weaknesses . 

Luckily Sandaime agreed with his sensei's assessment that the danger Itachi posed to his remaining clansmen was significant indeed; and for their security and safety, it was best for Sasuke to stay separately from his cousin. 

If Shisui never took solo missions again, or rarely seen about the Village alone - well. 

All in the name of security and safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Shisui never gets out of this.
> 
> The only nice thing is... at least he's not dead? But god.
> 
> What happened was i dreamt I was writing this scenario and this morning I woke up early and HAD to write it.
> 
> Shisui has such a TERRIBLE time but by the time of the Uchiha Massacre, there's no way he can get out from under Danzou's thumb, because Danzous never letting him go.
> 
> UPDATED: Now with bonus alternate endings! 
> 
> Chapter 2 is the Good Ending (or rather, hopeful) 
> 
> Chapter 3 is the alternate version of Chapter 2 with Worse Ending as if Chapter 1's ending isnt bad enough. :D


	2. The Good Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the Uchiha Massacre.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while i said this was finished...
> 
> it is!
> 
> this chapter and the next are optional, with Chapter 3 being a DARKER alternative version of Chapter 2

Shisui had always known that he was Danzou-sensei's favourite. 

The kindness, the touches, all of that had been his alone. And for someone whose father had died early and his mother slowly dying from a disease that wasted away her eyes and nerves, it had been a comfort. Over time, it had been… more than that. 

It had just been him and sensei, for so long. 

When he became a root operative, the difference had been even more obvious. Somehow Shisui's own training had been solo more often than not, his rewards more frequent than the others. He knew punishment for failure marked him a lot less than the others. 

On team-missions, half the time he was commanding other root operatives, and it'd only taken one relatively fucked up mission for him to realise that root operatives always were going to prioritize _Shisui's_ safety over their own. 

It was what had saved Itachi and Sasuke - Shisui interposing himself between them and the other Root, because he was Danzou-sensei's favourite, and they _all_ knew it. 

And now - 

He didn't know where Itachi was. 

Shisui spent weeks recuperating - he and Sasuke were the only Uchiha left in Konoha, but Sasuke's sharingan had only awakened, not mangekyou, but Itachi had mangekyou. 

Danzou had allowed one of his operatives - the ones with an active, implanted mangekyou, use it on Shisui. 

Punishment. The _worst_ , and Shisui had been expected to fight it - to get the defensive injuries that no one would question. 

If he didn't cooperate, well. 

Sasuke would have died within two weeks of internal injuries that no one had caught, his brother's evil knowing no bounds. 

His back had been shredded, his mind raw, and the first week he'd barely been able to move from the futon in sensei's bedroom. 

It was only the end of the week when he could sit up properly, still half drained of chakra, to ask sensei where Sasuke was. 

"He's alive, he's in the orphanage," Danzou said, and when he reached down to touch Shisui's hair, Shisui had flinched. 

"Sorry. Sorry sensei - I still hurt," but Danzou had just tightened his hand in Shisui's short, ragged hair and Shisui swallowed. 

He shouldn't have flinched. 

"It's almost like you've forgotten your training," Danzou said, and his tone was so even, calm, that Shisui dropped his head immediately closing his eyes, and getting to his knees, despite his back screaming for him to stop moving. 

"I'm sorry, sensei," Shisui said, his words directed to the floor. "Please, I didn't think." 

And then hands - familiar, very familiar - touched the back of his head, fingers through the uneven ends of his hair. 

"It is my own fault," Danzou mused. "I gave you so much leeway, and kept you safe. Not been firm enough." 

Shisui swallowed again, and kept still. Even though he was kneeling, here, he was in more pain than he'd ever been in Danzou's presence, and he didn't dare beg for news on Sasuke. 

Itachi was out of the question. The only news he'd get would probably be of Itachi's death, so the less he heard the better.

"I'm sorry," he said, again, and made himself move, shuffle closer on his knees, even though it hurt. "I'm sorry, sensei. I'll do better." 

Danzou cupped the back of his head, familiar and terrifying. 

"Yes, you will," he said. 

*** 

When Shisui started on missions again, he was not alone. 

"I am Yamato," Kinoue said, expressionlessly, and Shisui turned away from his expression. 

Not just there to protect Shisui, he knew, the raw new seal at the base of his back twinging at the movement. 

A low level seal and a watchdog - both of them together were leashes. 

There was no way Shisui was going to be able to find Itachi like this. 

"You're my partner in this?" Shisui said, pulling on his gloves. 

"Yes," Kinoue - or rather, Yamato now - said. "For all future assignments." 

Which was to be expected, Shisui knew. His cutting off his hair had been a statement , even if it had been a spur of the moment, a desperate play to save his cousins, a play he hadn't been thinking about and even if he were to grow it long again, the trust that Danzou had in his loyalty was fractured. 

_But I'm loyal!_ Loyal to Konoha, to his sensei, to his ideals - he just. 

He just hadn't wanted his cousins dead too, because Itachi was loyal, and Sasuke was just a child and the thought of them dead - all his other cousins who were also loyal, also children, dead under the deadly swords that Root had drawn that night - clawed at his chest and lungs and made it hard to breathe. 

"Are you alright, Uchiha-san?" Yamato said, bland, almost _blank_ and Shisui inhaled sharp. 

"I'm fine." 

He was fine. Unlike Sasuke and Itachi, _he_ was fine. 

*** 

"I'm just going to the market," Shisui said, but Yamato was slipping into place beside him, and it made Shisui's breath strangle in his throat, like the white silk scarf that blinded him. "You don't have to come." 

Yamato didn't answer, and Shisui fixed his gaze in front of him. There was no way that he'd see Sasuke here, not when he was staying in the orphanage all the way across Konoha. 

But it was even less of a probability with a leash beside him. 

So instead, Shisui went to the Uchiha compound. 

Only the main walls were up - the rest of it, beyond the empty front gates, was nothing but ash. 

He hadn't lived there since his mother passed away, but it had been his clan's home since the founding. He wasn't the heir, Sasuke was but… 

"Can you make trees grow there?" he asked Yamato. 

Yamato looked at him, and Shisui thought he saw startlement in his otherwise blank gaze. 

He didn't say anything else, just turned and started to walk away. 

But in the corner of his eyes, he saw the small slow movement of green amongst the ash. 

*** 

He stopped at the door. 

The surgical table was familiar; he'd been on it five times after all, and this would be the sixth, and there was no point trying to protest but. 

"Shisui," Danzou said, and it wasn't even a threat, and Shisui could feel the protest, the _no_ crawl up his throat. 

He swallowed it down, tight, thick, and blinked, feeling his vision go watery. 

He'd never really thought about the surgeries over the years, whose eyes Danzou-sensei had been using, but the tantos that Root had wielded that night have been all scrupulously avoiding faces. 

Avoiding _eyes_. 

Danzou sighed. "Yamato." 

Shisui's knees sagged but Yamato caught him by the arm and dragged him over to the table anyway. 

_Please._ the word didn't even exist, just the shape of it, and Shisui was looking up as Yamato put him on it, strapped him down. 

Yamato looked at him, then down at Shisui's hands, strapped down all the way to his biceps, and then his gaze flicking back to Shisui's eyes again. 

His lips parted, briefly, but Shisui didn't see if that formed any words, before a familiar needle pricked his temple and then the world went black. 

*** 

Almost as far as Kinoue could remember, Uchiha Shisui had always been there. 

No, not _always_. He hadn't been always present during the more rigorous of training, but often, when he looked towards Danzou, there would be a tousle-haired boy, about Kinoue's age, wide-eyed and, this was what made him very aware of the other boy, besides the occasional times he saw him wearing a chuunin vest, smiling. 

Friendly, sweet smile, and Kinoue once made the mistake of smiling back. 

Danzou had his hand on the boy's shoulder nudging him to look away, and after that Kinoue had had the most brutal beating he'd had in his young life. 

It was when he learned that Uchiha Shisui was _special_. 

You could look, but best not make it obvious. 

All the gods and heavens help you, if you _touched_. 

***

He behaved different from the rest - smiling, laughing, trying to joke and be friendly, but Kinoue remembered the lessons very well, and for the most part only touched him during close-contact sparring. 

Not that they could - few of them could get hold of Shisui when he wanted to really move; his shunshin was something special, and as were his eyes - it would take years before Kinoue realised that every other year or so, his eyes would gain new abilities, and you couldn't keep up, not easily. 

One of the others slipped up. Pushed too hard, broke through the genjutsu that Shisui had been weaving and landed a hard blow on his jaw, that immediately started to swell. 

Everyone froze. 

"Ow," Shisui had said. "That was a good one - got ice?" 

"Kinoue," Danzou said, and Shisui had obligingly trotted over to Danzou - his _sensei_ , while everyone else called Danou _-sama_ \- to let him ice his jaw with the pack that Kinoue had fetched. 

"You're done for today, good work," Danzou told Shisui, cupping his uninjured cheek, tender, gentle, the way he was most definitely not with the others, and sent Shisui off outside. 

And then Danzou had called Sugaru over, and everyone was made to watch as the one who'd bruised Shisui - who'd _hurt_ Danzou's precious student - screamed as insects devoured his chakra for a full hour. 

He took two hours to die. 

*** 

Kinoue had been part of the Uchiha Elimination, though he wasn't meant to be frontline and attack - he was meant to hold down the more recalcitrant opponents to allow his fellow operatives an easier time to attack. 

Shisui showing up halfway was… unexpected. 

Shisui screaming _no_ and trying to stop them, to order them to stop - had been unexpected, but they were professionals, they wouldn't stop because Danzou's favourite said so - he had had no legitimate orders, no proof of said orders. 

Kinoue would have just caged him away to keep him out of the way but Shisui was _fast_. 

And fast enough to realise that the other operatives shied away from him when he neared - but not fast enough to protect more than one or two people at a time - 

And Kinoue _saw_ him make the choice on who to protect. 

He chose the Uchiha heirs, rather than anyone else, because who else could he protect? 

They should have been the first ones struck down but - with Shisui there, they were the last, and because of Shisui, Root lost three operatives. 

Kinoue wasn't angry. He had no emotion for other root operatives other than the absolutely correct loyalty for mission and Village. But Shisui going to his knees, _crying_ , begging Danzou to let his cousins go… 

That, he'd never seen before. 

He'd never seen Shisui beg for _anything_. 

***

Afterwards - that had been… strange. 

He'd seen Shisui in fights, of course - he'd been on several missions with him as ANBU prior to this. His status as favourite and Konoha's youngest jounin was properly earned, after all. 

But Root operatives weren't allowed to spar him at full-strength; it hadn't taken much thought to know that Shisui did most of his actual training outside of Root, accumulating training injuries like any other jounin from the others, the _other_ ANBU, rather than from them. 

(It made him twitch to think of, that there were others who could land a blow on Shisui and not remember the buzzing of insects and the screams.) 

But after the Elimination, after Fuu had dealt with the issue of Sasuke, the operative Hyou was assigned to fight Shisui. 

And told, explicitly, to go all out, short of killing him. 

It made sense - Shisui had the mangekyou sharingan, and without that to match him, it would be insanely difficult. Hyou had an implanted pair of sharingan.

Kinoue watched the fight - it wasn't a spar. 

It was Hyou methodically attacking Shisui's mind, tearing through his defenses, and Shisui _let_ him, let himself be driven back step by step. 

It was Hyou ripping through Shisui's guard, and forcing Shisui to fight back to parry. 

When Shisui went to his knees, Danzou gave Hyou a soldier pill, had Fuu heal him, and told him to continue. 

Shisui had taken each blow in eerie silence, until he couldn't help it anymore, arms weak and while Hyou's eyes were bleeding, Shisui couldn't keep up using his own mangekyou for hours without a boost of chakra and stamina of soldier pills. 

When Hyou broke Shisui's knee, Shisui had gone down with a strangled scream - and Hyou paused, looking to Danzou. 

"Continue," Danzou said. 

And Hyou meticulously took Shisui apart with the standard ANBU tanto for half an hour before Danzou allowed him to stop. 

Despite it all, Shisui had only fought back with lethal force when he'd been forced to his knees the first time - but by then, Hyou had had two soldier pills. 

And they all knew that if Shisui had killed Hyou, another of them would take his place to continue until Danzou said to stop. 

None of the punishments Kinoue had witnessed had lasted almost four hours of brutal, almost flaying, inclusive of both the sharingan use and physical damage. 

Least of all the punished agent still being alive at the end. 

*** 

Shisui didn't smile anymore, after that. 

Perhaps that was the largest contrast, even with the loss of his long braid, even after the bruises healed. Danzou had had Shisui healed after, having Hyou and Yamato, then still Kinoue, guard Shisui at the hospital during his surgery, and then later escorting him back to Danzou's. 

He was meticulously polite, he didn't even flinch when he saw Hyou, even though Yamato knew that when Hyou had used the sharingan on Yamato, he'd flinched for a week after. 

Perhaps being an actual Uchiha meant he was better able to resist. 

But Shisui didn't smile at him anymore. 

Not that he'd smiled at _Kinoue_ specifically; but he'd used to smile, joke, amongst his teammates, cheerful. 

That sort of behaviour had sort of always confused Yamato, but it was also Shisui, out of all of them Shisui had been the most like Other ANBU, Other Jounin, probably a reason why he was Danzou's favourite. 

But now he was - serious, reticent with all the other ANBU now. He hadn't even had a joke or faint half-smile for Hatake Kakashi, the other genius who was only just above his age. 

… but then, Kakashi had been Itachi's taicho hadn't he? 

Kakashi was cold to Shisui too, so it was expected. 

Did Kakashi suspect what they were here to do? 

*** 

Shisui was meant to be a distraction for Hatake, and he was doing a fairly good job of it - just by virtue of being the only other Uchiha to survive Itachi. There had been talk, Shisui knew, that Kakashi and Itachi had been close. 

Shisui hadn't been close enough to Itachi to know how true that was; but Kakashi probably blamed Shisui for Itachi's apparent melt-down.

Don't worry, he thought at Kakashi, it was my fault. 

If he'd been fast enough, if only he'd been eloquent enough, convinced his sensei fast enough, or had better reasons, rather than just flinging himself in with no thought, no back up, no _plan_ , maybe Itachi wouldn't be out there somewhere, orphaned and alone with a bounty on his head big enough to buy a small village. 

If he'd begged _better_ , maybe Itachi wouldn't be out there all alone without his team and family. 

Of course Kakashi would blame Shisui, if he knew. 

*** 

Shisui had been a distraction, but not enough - despite everything, Kakashi was still Konoha shinobi, and barring a straight direct order, Yamato wouldn't kill a Konoha ninja, and Shisui had never, as far as he knew, been sent on one of those darker missions that Root was meant for. 

(Danzou's favourite, the pure perfect Konoha shinobi. The way none of them could ever reach.)

And despite everything, Kakashi was _fast_ and … 

Shisui should have been faster but for some reason there was Kakashi in front of him, stopping his blade from ending the Hokage. 

"I should kill you," Kakashi said, but his viciousness was reserved for Shisui, who was pale and distant and washed out from the side. 

"You should," Shisui agreed. 

His mangekyo wasn't even on. 

So when Kakashi turned his tanto on Shisui - 

Yamato did what he was trained to do. 

*** 

Shisui's vaunted speed was nothing to Kakashi's sparking chidori - and Yamato's loyalty to _Shisui's_ safety. 

The chidori could burn through wood, and stopped only by human flesh, and Shisui - 

Shisui had been prepared to die. 

(it had been possibly, the only way to fix it. To fix everything.) 

Except Kakashi'd stopped, and Yamato had fallen to the floor in a slump, still breathing, the wood retreating and - 

If they got Yamato to a medic within an hour, he'd be fine, Shisui knew he would be, but he was by his knees at Yamato's side, and he should have known that Yamato would throw himself in front of anything to prevent Shisui from -

"You," Kakashi said, and Kakashi was THERE, hand in Shisui's hair, fisting tight and hard and Shisui made a sharp noise, but - 

Being on his knees meant… one thing. 

Hand in his hair, meant … yet another and Shisui stayed down, let Kakashi pull his head up and - 

"I'm sorry," Shisui said and god, Kakashi and Itachi, they'd been something, hadn't they? 

"I'm so sorry." 

*** 

He was - 

There was something about Shisui, that had twinged his senses. Something about the whole situation made no sense. That Shisui had been the one to survive, and Itachi gone traitor? 

If it had been the other way around, Kakashi thought it would have made a lot more sense - Shisui was Danzou's creature through and through - loyalty to his sensei was deep to the bone. As unfortunate as it might be in a Konoha shinobi. 

But Shisui was completely different from Itachi - there was something about the way Shisui held himself away from the others, from everyone in the squads, no matter which squad he was in. Kakashi was good at noting this kind of pattern, watching and watchful. Shisui was friendly with everyone and had no friends. He had smiles for everyone and was genuine in none. Where Itachi's mask hid a shy, pacifist personality, Shisui's mask hid… 

What? What did it hide? 

And now Shisui was on his knees, his friend - someone who'd been about to try to assassinate Sandaime! - bleeding and - 

Kakashi would have put literal money on the thought that Shisui was the commanding officer for this little assassination attempt - Yamato had leapt too quickly to save him for it not to be - but Shisui was on his knees and his face turned up to him eyes wide and stricken and oddly _raw_. 

Mouth wet and - 

Kakashi shoved back, feeling _sick_ at the sudden insight. 

For a moment, it had looked like Shisui was offering himself up, a sort of conditioned response, and Kakashi … 

Didn't want to think what it could mean. 

(Who has been conditioning Shisui, who could have been putting him on his knees like that? ) 

(The answer was horrifying to even contemplate.) 

"Take him," Kakashi said, harshly, wanting to burn his hands off. "Take your subordinate and go. You won't kill Sandaime today." 

*** 

Yamato had been awake, though. 

 

He'd seen enough - even as he'd fallen bleeding. And… 

He was torn. 

He'd failed his mission, which was bad enough. Worst still, he'd failed to protect Shisui from Kakashi - that Kakashi had _let_ them go was of no consequence. Kakashi had laid hands on Shisui, and Yamato hadn't been able to prevent it. 

"Don't tell Danzou-sama," Yamato said. Told him. 

Shisui had looked away and then nodded. "Hatake was too fast for me to stop him from interfering. Sensei will understand." 

Except … Shisui was physically fully recovered - there was no way that his speed could have been thwarted by Hatake Kakashi - who was known for his ability to wield an alien Sharingan, not the speed of _his_ sensei. 

For him to be able to out-run, thwart Shisui, it would have to be because Shisui _let_ him. 

"You won't be at fault, it'd be mine," Shisui said, voice perfectly even. "It's alright." 

*** 

 

Shisui had been the one to report to Danzou. 

And Danzou had regarded them both and told Yamato to leave the room. 

Guard the door. 

It was not… normal, or at least, not for Yamato. Yamato hadn't been the one who was expected to guard the door like this - he wasn't one of the stronger, more trusted Root agents that Danzou would trust his and Shisui's safety to. 

"You failed me again," Danzou said, and Yamato stayed still, tightening his hands against his suddenly racing heart but. 

Danzou was talking to Shisui. 

"I'm sorry sensei." 

A soft cry - pained. 

"Are you really?" Danzou's words were even, quiet. "You let Hatake stop you. What did he offer you, Shisui?" 

"Nothing. He was already suspicious - he and Itachi were close -" 

"You wanted to be as close to him as _Itachi_?" 

"No. _No_ that's -" a sharp gasp, then choking sound. 

Yamato stared at the wall opposite. 

Wet choking sounds, like a throat struggling to breathe. 

"Hatake is a thief, and a threat, loyal to no one," Danzou said, voice low enough that Yamato had to strain to hear, even over the just as quiet wet, muffled sounds. "His affection for Itachi is worthless." 

Kakashi was loyal, Yamato thought. Maybe not to Itachi per se but he'd been loyal to the Hokage, he hadn't killed him or Shisui. 

Yamato was going to fail a mission, he knew. Something was - wrong with him, because he'd not wanted to report his failure to Danzou, not after the way Kakashi had stayed his hand. 

Given him some small… mercy. 

Mercy tasted like lightning and blood. 

It was enough, thinking of Kakashi's mercy, to drown out the sounds behind the door, and he didn't have to react when Shisui came out of the room, back of his wrist just dropping from a reddened mouth. 

Danzou's favour, Yamato thought, but Shisui was shaking under it, and he almost fell over before Yamato caught him by the elbow. 

"You can. Go now." Shisui said, to Yamato. "I'm only heading back to sleep." 

Yamato didn't think he'd make it all the way before falling over - it wasn't like he had been seriously injured in the fight with Hatake, but in the dimmer light in the hall, Shisui's gaze looked unfocused, glazed. Shocky. He didn't resist further when Yamato took him back to his room, and let him fold down to his futon. 

Danzou's justice and favour smelled bitter, strong and like shock, Yamato thought. 

Maybe it was time to seek mercy instead. 

***

"I tried to kill you," Kakashi said. "I might even kill you again now. Yet you're here asking for.." 

"Asylum. Mercy. Whichever," Yamato said. 

Kakashi stared at him. 

"Why." 

"Because you didn't kill me or Shisui then," Yamato said. "And - death at your hands would be faster." 

Kakashi's gaze was steady, assessing. 

"Then we go to the Hokage." 

***

The details that Yamato - Kinoue - gave them were… horrifying. 

Kakashi had expected - well, an army. Maybe subverted shinobi, bribed to be disloyal. Dark missions in the shadows, and the killing of the Hokage's supporters, maybe. Actual killing of babies. 

He had not expected children snatched from their clans, reported dead and brought up in secret. Orochimaru's experiments - he hadn't thought to think where he could have gotten the children TO experiment on, and there had been so many orphans in the wake of the kyuubi attack, over the years, and not enough of the Hokage's men to keep an eye on them all.

When he thought of subversion, he hadn't thought subversion in such a sense, of children taken and warped into killing their own friends to become weapons. 

"Is that how Uchiha Shisui was led to killing the Uchiha?" Kakashi asked, because he knew, he _knew_ Itachi couldn't have done it. 

The trembling, delicate sliver of an understanding between them, two geniuses alone in a village who had no idea what it meant for politics and family, meant that Kakashi didn't believe Itachi could have broken in such a way to wipe out his clan. 

But Shisui, in such an environment? He would believe it. 

"Shisui? No, he didn't do it," Yamato said, as surprised as they all were in the room. "Shisui is Danzou-sama's favourite, he was never allowed to train with us." 

That.. didn't make sense? 

"He's Danzou-sama's favourite, the one most like the rest of - you," Yamato said, from his place kneeling in front of the Hokage, his Jounin Commander, the lurking head of T&I and Kakashi. 

They all looked at each other and Kakashi was - confused. "He's Danzou's creature," Kakashi said at last before Shikaku could stop him. "His student, why wouldn't he have -" 

"He tried to stop the massacre," Yamato interrupted. "He knows none of us would dare touch him." 

"Not touch-" the Hokage prompted. 

(but if none of them would dare touch him, then who had put Shisui on his knees, that he went so easily, turned his face up so submissively, baring his throat like a beaten dog -) 

"The last time one of us hurt him in training," Yamato said, "he'd taken two hours to die after the insects. Shisui is meant only for Danzou-sama alone." 

The room was silent. 

The strange thing was, Yamato looked - mildly surprised, under the almost-blank of his expression. He smelled nervous, afraid, but not the kind of fear that came from lies - nervous for his own skin, expecting death, perhaps. 

Two hours to die after insects - Aburame insects. After being stripped of chakra, the death was a lingering thing - for a training accident! 

And Yamato thought death at Kakashi's hands was faster and vastly preferable. 

"We might need more than one agent's testimony," the head of T&I said finally. 

"I'm supposed to be guarding Shisui," Yamato volunteered. "If I bring him here, will that suffice?" 

"Guarding," Shikaku said flatly. 

"In case he tried to leave to see the Uchiha heir," Yamato elaborated. "He normally would be guarded by two of us, but today the aftermath of the mission failure means he is physically unable to, and Hyou isn't required to guard him." 

Guard him, Kakashi thought. 

"You're not his bodyguards," Kakashi said after a moment. "He doesn't command you." 

Yamato blinked at him. "He's Danzou-sama's favourite," he reiterated. "He can't command us." 

Shisui needed guards to - watch his movement. He was a favourite, but didn't command. He went to his knees and he _begged_. 

The flash of insight from before was saturated with terrible details that Kakashi wished he didn't know. 

The horror in the Hokage's face was more than enough confirmation. 

"Bring him here," the Hokage said, "Kakashi, go with him as backup." 

*** 

"Of course I wanted it," Shisui said, hoarse. 

They hadn't allowed him to kneel. They'd been - kind, in a way, after the icy-slice of the Yamanaka mind into his own thoughts, rifling like a man in a library. 

He'd not tried to resist much with the sharingan - he was … tired. So tired of it, but now they were asking him questions in person. 

Did you want it. What did he make you do? 

It wasn't _make_. He hadn't been _made_. He was grateful, he had owed sensei his gratitude, his loyalty, his everything. 

Danzou had remade him over and over, trying to compensate for his Uchiha weaknesses, repayment in all of the above was little enough, especially for the love and care that sensei had given him. 

Sensei had been everything, particularly after his mother died, his teammates died. Danzou had been the one to guide him through the use of his sharingan, then to help him replace them with better ones, more useful ones, more _suitable_ ones. 

His own failure to persuade, to beg properly, to find the right words - that had been his fault. If he'd been faster, better, there would have been no hurt. If he hadn't been a failure and disappointment then. 

Of course he'd wanted it. 

He'd wanted everything, he'd had to prove his gratitude, his love, his loyalty. Shisui was an _adult_ and could make his own choices, didn't he? Couldn't he? And his choice was to serve his sensei and prove his loyalty and love. 

It had never _hurt_ , until recently when he'd shown himself flawed, but Sensei had only wanted to make him better. 

*** 

Both of them - all of them… Kakashi didn't know or even think to understand what T&I was going to do with them, all of Root operatives, stupidly young, and broken in a uniform way. 

It would be so easy to sweep the problem away - let them go on suicide missions that you didn't expect to return from. Let them spend their powerful abilities in battle, obedient to the last. 

Shisui's own damage was - a little more comprehensible, because ... and here the Hokage blamed himself, for giving Shisui to Danzou as his student. There were so many unsaid things; that Kakashi only knew a little of, guessed some, and knew that the Hokage and T&I guessed more. They'd already gotten a huge and comprehensive file from Shisui, and for all his professed loyalty to Danzou, he'd not even fought the jutsu that invaded his mind.

Loyal to the Village, he'd said, desperately, and then when he'd gone to his knees the first time, Inoichi had recoiled from whatever he'd seen in Shisui's face, just like Kakashi had. 

He didn't understand that normal sensei-student relationships shouldn't have been like that - Kakashi couldn't even think of Yondaime in that same scenario and _not_ feel ill. But. 

But. 

God. 

It meant Itachi could come home, though, and maybe one day - years later - Shisui could be reintegrated back into the family, once they dealt with the mental fuck-up in Sasuke's mind, and unravelled the strings of abuse chaining Shisui into patterns of behaviour that was. 

Was. 

"He's Kagami's grandson," Sandaime said, quietly. "My old teammate's grandson. I promised him I'd take care of his family." 

And the Hokage had failed, failed Shisui _miserably_ , by literally giving him to a predator none of them had thought would turn to such things and. 

It was going to take a long time to fix. 

But they should have seen it happen, and none of them had; it was their responsibility now. 

END?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand apparently I can't stop hurting Shisui. Next chapter is more hurt for Shisui, and he's never getting out. Whoot.


	3. The Worse Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath, darkly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So um. 
> 
> a tiny bit of some OOC, I had to change the tags a bit because this is just gotten WORSE

*** 

Shisui's vaunted speed was nothing to Kakashi's sparking chidori - and Yamato's loyalty to _Shisui's_ safety. 

The chidori could burn through wood, and stopped only by human flesh, and Shisui - 

Shisui had been prepared to die. 

(it had been possibly, the only way to fix it. To fix everything.) 

Except Kakashi'd stopped, and Yamato had fallen to the floor in a slump, still breathing, the wood retreating and - 

If they got Yamato to a medic within an hour, he'd be fine, Shisui knew he would be, but he was by his knees at Yamato's side, and he should have known that Yamato would throw himself in front of anything to prevent Shisui from -

"You," Kakashi said, and Kakashi was THERE, hand in Shisui's hair, fisting tight and hard and Shisui made a sharp noise, but - 

Being on his knees meant… one thing. 

Hand in his hair, meant … yet another and Shisui stayed down, let Kakashi pull his head up and - 

"I'm sorry," Shisui said and god, Kakashi and Itachi, they'd been something, hadn't they? 

"I'm so sorry." 

** 

"Are you now?" 

Uchiha Shisui had always been… proud. Untouchable in a way. A fire that burned if you got too near. Where Itachi was just ice hiding a softer, quieter heart, Shisui was all flame demon, through and through. 

"Just, let me take him to the medics, please." 

But now he was on his knees, eyes huge and - oddly wet, and he wasn't fighting Kakashi - he hadn't fought at _all_ , it was like Itachi's mental break and subsequent slaughter had broken him. 

And what could have broken Itachi? There couldn't have been anything, Itachi had been so happy the past few weeks, the past few sessions, and now Itachi was gone, and all that was left was this - this strange broken ghost of the Uchiha, on his knees and - 

If Itachi had been wholly loyal to the Hokage, Shisui was Danzou's creature, entirely. The two of them related but separate, opposites in every way. If Itachi was solemn and quiet, Shisui was sweet smiles. But where Itachi had been hiding quiet steel, Shisui was… 

Nothing. A creature of Danzou's evil, a pretty mask for Danzou to act through, and Kakashi was _tired_ of masks.

It had to be him, of all things Itachi had cared for, it had been _Family_. 

Shisui had to have instigated it, otherwise why would Itachi be gone and Shisui here, in the village, flaunting his living status like the only one to have somehow survived the deaths of every one that Itachi had loved, and acting the hollowed out victim? 

And now Shisui was on his knees, eyes huge and pleading and mouth so red and _pretty_. 

There really was only one thing good for that. 

*** 

Yamato wasn't quite unconscious, but. 

It hurt. 

He was, however, slowly knitting together, feeling his slow regeneration. 

If he had been - had the actual mokuton, he'd probably be fine by now. 

But his poor, imitation version was barely enough to keep him from bleeding out entirely, and definitely had nothing for the pain as his flesh knit itself together. 

(He won't die, he wouldn't die, there was a lot he could survive, he just… wouldn't survive it without _pain_.) 

The pain was the reason why it took him a while to recognise the wet sounds. 

The choked, struggling breathing - 

When he shifted, blinking lightning blinded eyes, he could just about make out Shisui on his knees, a hand in his hair, and Kakashi - 

Oh. 

Oh no. 

Now Kakashi was _definitely_ dead - because no one was allowed to touch Shisui, and definitely not in that manner. 

*** 

Kakashi wasn't gentle - Shisui had indeed been spoilt, because he'd only ever been used gently, carefully, and even blindfolded, he'd never had to worry about pain. 

But it meant that Yamato wouldn't be killed, and it meant that Shisui could, if momentarily, assuage his own guilt, and when Kakashi finished down his throat, Shisui was _grateful_ for the tender scalp, the bruised lips and sore jaw. 

"Please," Shisui said, "May I take him to the medic?" 

And Kakashi was looking down at him, gaze dark and unreadable. 

"Take him and get lost, Uchiha." 

*** 

"You can't," Yamato said, when they were - gone, halfway there, Yamato staggering under his own feet because he was injured but Shisui - 

Yamato didn't dare touch Shisui more than he had to, and the arm slung around his shoulder was already too much. 

"Can't what?" 

At least Shisui had paused to rinse his mouth out. At least Kakashi hadn't left too many obvious marks that couldn't be explained away by a normal fight. 

"Can't tell Danzou-sama," Yamato managed. 

Tiny, traitorous thought, but … 

He remembered the screams that eventually got drowned by insects. 

"Tell him that -" Shisui glanced at him and then blinked. "Oh. Oh of course not. Sensei would understand if it's my fault." 

Because Shisui always had a milder punishment for failure - his interference with one of the largest missions to eliminate the threat to Konoha's safety and security had him only laid up for a week and a small seal and a constant escort. 

Yamato understood - if there was anyone who could survive failure, it'd be Shisui. 

"Don't tell him that Hatake touched you either." 

Shisui frowned at that - like he was going to - 

"That too, is my failure," Yamato said and Shisui's brow cleared.

"Alright," he said. "Except you know you didn't fail, right? Kakashi … was too good." 

Lies. 

Kakashi was good, but there was no way that he should have been able to step around Shisui. 

Shisui had let him, Yamato knew, and… 

Well if Shisui wanted to take on the complete failure of this unto himself, Yamato had… 

No objections. 

*** 

The crack of Danzou's hand across his cheek was almost enough to break bone. 

"So that is why you have been so disobedient," Danzou said voice sharp and Shisui shuddered, felt himself rock on his knees but didn't dare say anything more than bow his head. 

A hand in his hair pulling his head back until he had to face Danzou, stare up at him at the dark, terrible darkness of his gaze, his chin brushing against the fabric of Danzou's pants. 

"You don't actually want to be treated as someone worthy of protection, as someone _precious_?" 

The worst part was that Danzou-sensei wasn't even sneering. There was anger in his voice, but it was controlled, even, like he was seeing a flaw in his training, something that Shisui needed to correct, and it was a common tone, just. 

Rarely underscored with anger.

"It's disappointing," Danzou said and Shisui shuddered at that tone. 

"I'm sorry sensei," he said, because - he never wanted to disappoint his sensei, he just. "I couldn't - help it, I deserve to be punished." 

There were so many places where he'd failed, and he knew it. 

"It looks like you can't rise above your problematic Uchiha roots," Danzou said finally. "That is no matter. Fuu." 

Fuu melted out of the shadows, right at the corner of Shisui's field of view. 

"Bring the others," Danzou said. "You wanted to be treated how you _ought_ , Shisui? How you deserve to be?" 

Shisui managed a nod, and Danzou let go of his hair, stepping back to sit down on his chair. "Very well. Begin, Fuu." 

"My pleasure, Danzou-sama." 

And Shisui could see the Yamanaka Fuu _smile_. 

*** 

He'd fought, at first. 

Because it was one thing to be put to his knees, to have hands on his hair, but it was another to have so many _hands_ on him, pulling his clothes off, so many bodies around him and it - 

It wasn't the usual. He wasn't used to it. 

And then Fuu hit him, the other cheek, an open handed slap across one ear and Shisui almost fell over from the shock, flame and the sharingan snapping beneath his skin in automatic retaliation - 

"Are you refusing correction, Shisui?" Danzou asked, voice mild and even. 

"No, no sensei." 

Danzou leaned back, a little more. 

"Sama. It's Danzou-sama," Fuu said, and the smile in the man's mouth and the distant god-implacableness in Danzou's eyes meant that. 

That. In this, Shisui was not his beloved student - he'd failed his sensei one time too many, and he had to earn it back. 

Danzou didn't say anything to negate it and Shisui gasped a sob. 

And Shisui let them take his hands - bind them in metal cuffs that bit at his wrists - shaking a little under the cold metal. 

Danzou-sensei had never needed to bind him like this, but Shisui had never fought back, earned bruises on either cheek so quickly and so harshly. 

When someone drew his hips back and up, Shisui's gasping sob choked on cock. 

***

Shisui was trembling when they were done, his knees unable to hold him up, only Fuu's almost mocking-tender grip in his hair keeping him upright until Danzou dismissed him. 

Eventually they were gone. 

Eventually it was just him and his erstwhile student, bruised and battered and … marked. 

Danzou leaned forward, waiting for as long as it took for Shisui to open his eyes again. 

He'd cried, sometime in the middle - soft little wet sounds of pain and despair, when he actually had his mouth free, but not even daring to beg for his sensei. 

That was alright. He understood that he was not worthy of protection then, that it was punishment. 

"Come here," he said, and Shisui moved, tried to - 

Had to crawl, limp and weak and _shaking_ to him, before Danzou drew up his face in both hands, thumbs smearing the white stickiness against his cheek. 

He looked so pretty like this, marked up with Danzou's anger and disfavour.

"Do you understand now?" Danzou said. 

Shisui made a soft, tiny hurt noise, eyes wide and wet and tears staining his cheeks - his mouth was bruised, red, swollen, and Fuu had not been gentle with his hair - none of them had been, taking the fact that Shisui had voluntarily cut off his braid meant he was touchable, there to be their toy. His scalp had to be tender to the touch now; and yet the effort he made to not flinch when Danzou ran fingers against his hair was. 

Worthy of praise. Worthy of reward. 

"Yes Danzou-sama," Shisui whispered. 

"It's over," Danzou told him. "My stubborn student - the punishment is over. What was the lesson you learned?" 

"I -" Shisui shook a little in his hands, eyes shutting before the traitorous tears could slip free. "I'm sorry, Danzou-sama. I don't know -" 

"Shh," Danzou said. "Sensei. It's sensei." 

"Sensei." Shisui murmured against his thumbs. "I'm sorry, sensei." 

Poor Shisui - favoured and treasured for so long, protected, it was his own failing at not actually being more explicit. "No one's allowed to touch you," Danzou told him. "Who do you belong to, Shisui?" 

A breath, wet and thick. "You, sensei. I belong to you, sensei." 

"Good." Danzou kept petting him till the shivers ceased. 

 

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually like this ending a bit better than the previous chapter - the previous one is good, but i liked this chapter just... better. Felt more visceral. More vicious. 
> 
> More terrible. 
> 
> :D
> 
> Initially i had been going for the world's worst OT4 - Kakashi/Itachi/Shisui/Tenzou, but then it got real hard to write more so.. I just left it here. 
> 
> OOC!Kakashi a bit, but he's SuPER angry? 
> 
> this ending COULD follow a little to Chapter 2, but Kakashi would be super ashamed of his actions perhaps? and If Itachi came back he'd be all wtf did you do Kakashi!?


End file.
